Barry felt the familiar pull of the Speed Force wrap around him like an old friend as he pushed through the breach. One moment the hill lights of National City were fading behind him, the next he was streaking across familiar streets, the glow of Central City welcoming him home. No time had passed. Not a second. The same clock on the bank tower still read the exact minute he'd left.
He slowed to a jog as he reached the doors of STAR Labs, the lightning fading from his suit. The building looked the same. Smelled the same. It was good to be back.
Inside the cortex, Cisco was hunched over a console, fiddling with some gadget. Caitlin sat nearby with a tablet, reviewing data. They both looked up when he walked in.
Cisco's face split into a grin. "There he is! How'd the talk with the dark knight go? Did Bats give you the whole brooding lecture or what?"
Barry smiled, pulling his cowl down as he leaned against the desk. "It went well. He's on board. We've got an ally if things get ugly."
Cisco raised an eyebrow. "And did he lay out the contingency plan for you? Because I know that guy has folders on all of us."
Barry shook his head, still smiling. "No. And I'd like to keep it that way. We should stop talking about Savitar so much. Focus on right now. When he shows up—if he shows up—we'll handle him the same way we've handled every other villain and bad guy that's come our way. Together."
Caitlin set her tablet down, studying him. "Why the sudden change? A little while ago you were buried in plans, almost pushing everyone away. Now you're… optimistic. What happened out there?"
Barry paused, leaning back against the console. His mind drifted back to that hill in National City, right before he left. Kara had looked at him under the stars, her voice steady and warm.
*"You don't have to carry it all alone, Barry. Friends, teammates… that's what makes the difference. You fight for them, they fight for you. That's how you win."*
He looked at Caitlin and Cisco, the words coming easy now. "That's because I have the best teammates. The best friends. And a whole lot of people who would fight for me. I don't want to disappoint them by brooding my way through this. We've got this."
Cisco pumped his fist, hyped. "Now that's my man! Alright, go change out of the suit and go see Patty. She's been asking about you. Don't keep the lady waiting."
Barry chuckled, heading toward the locker room. "On it."
The suit came off easily, the familiar weight of civilian clothes settling on his shoulders. He thought about the last few days—the fight with Zod's remnants, the team-up that felt bigger than any single Earth, and the quiet conversation on that hill. Kara's words had stuck with him more than he expected. Teamwork wasn't just a tactic. It was the reason he kept running forward.
Patty was waiting at the coffee shop they liked, the one with the big windows overlooking the park. She smiled when she saw him walk in, standing up to pull him into a hug.
"You're back," she said, relief clear in her voice. "Everything okay out there?"
Barry held her a moment longer than usual. "Yeah. Better than okay, actually." He sat down across from her, ordering his usual. "Had some time to think. Realize a few things."
They talked for hours. About work, about the city, about the strange cases piling up that they both knew were more than they seemed. Barry didn't mention the other Earth or the future shadow hanging over him. Not yet. But he felt lighter sharing the small things, laughing at her stories from the force.
As the sun dipped lower, casting golden light through the windows, Barry reached across the table and took her hand. "I've been thinking a lot lately. About us. About not letting the bad stuff take over everything good we've got."
Patty squeezed his hand, her eyes soft. "Sounds like a good plan to me."
He smiled, the weight from the hill conversation settling into something warm and solid. Kara had been right. He wasn't alone. He had Patty, Cisco, Caitlin, Joe, Iris, Henry—the whole messy, stubborn group that made Central City worth protecting.
Later that evening, back at STAR Labs, the team gathered for a quick debrief. Cisco was already sketching ideas for new tech upgrades. Caitlin ran through some medical scans she wanted to do. Barry listened, chiming in with suggestions but mostly letting them talk.
"You seem different," Iris said quietly when the others stepped away for a moment. "Good different."
Barry nodded. "I am. Had a reminder that we're stronger together. No more trying to shoulder it all alone."
She hugged him tight. "About time you remembered that."
As night settled over the city, Barry stood on the roof of STAR Labs for a minute, looking out at the lights. The Speed Force hummed steady in his veins. Whatever came next—Savitar, Thawne, whatever the future tried to throw at him—he wouldn't face it brooding in the dark.
He'd face it with his team.
With his friends.
With everyone who reminded him why running forward was worth it.
He blurred off the roof, a streak of lightning cutting through the night, heading home. For the first time in a long while, the road ahead didn't feel quite so impossible.